FRISCO, Texas (June 1, 2012) –By winning the recent US Youth Soccer Washington State Championships, five Mercer Island, Wash., area soccer teams have qualified to compete in the US Youth Soccer Region IV (West) Championships, presented by the National Guard.

Champion

Hometown

Under-17 Boys

Eastside FC 94 Red

Mercer Island

Under-15 Girls

Eastside FC 96 Red

Mercer Island

Under-16 Girls

Eastside FC 95 Red

Mercer Island

Under-17 Girls

Eastside FC 94 Red

Mercer Island

Under-18 Girls

Eastside FC 93 Red

Mercer Island

The teams will be among the more than 230 top US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams from the 14 US Youth Soccer State Associations competing for the regional title, June 18-24 at the US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix. Daily reports and complete results from the tournament will be available on http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org/regionIV.

The Region IV Championships feature top teams in the Under-12 through Under-19 age groups beginning with round robin games Monday, June 18, through Wednesday, June 20. Following a rest day, quarterfinal matches will be played Friday, June 22, with semifinals Saturday, June 23. The Region IV Champions will be crowned following final games on Sunday, June 24.

US Youth Soccer State Cup champions and select runners-up from 14 US Youth Soccer State Associations in Region IV, including host Arizona will participate. The other State Associations represented are Alaska, California North, California South, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Regional winners of the U14 through U19 age groups earn a berth to the 2012 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, July 24-29, at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C.

One of the 12 national crowns awarded is the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships.

The dates and locations for the 2012 US Youth Soccer Regional Championships and the 2012 US Youth Soccer National Championships are:

For more information on the US Youth Soccer National Championships, visit http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org, the online home for the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing the latest in news, information and more. Get all US Youth Soccer National Championship Series updates are on Twitter (@usysncs).

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About the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series – The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their abilities against the best in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. The yearlong competition begins with over 185,000 players in the US Youth Soccer State Championships. These champions and selected wildcard teams, through US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues, advance to compete in one of four the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. Champions (U-14 through U-19) from each regional event advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships. The Under-15 through 17 Boys and Girls age groups have two teams representative of the US Youth Soccer National League, in which the top two teams in each gender age group earn a direct path to the national championships. Overall the National Championship Series provides top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. For more information, visit http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.

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